Anti-Conscription Amendment [Rejected]

[Secretary Polnut]

I think this whole issue has just been immersed into an emotional bog from which there is no escape.

[President Marokai]

Scott is now the sponsor of this Amendment. And I'm going to open up a final vote on it momentarily, because as Polnut said, we seem to be getting nowhere.

[President Marokai]

I hereby open a final vote on the following Constitutional Amendment, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

Anti-Conscription Amendment

The Republic of Atlasia shall not conscript or enforce conscription of any citizen unless there is a land invasion of the Atlasian homeland by a sovereign government. In the event of such an attack, conscription must only be used on citizens at least eighteen years of age, and must allow exemptions for conscientious objectors, the infirm or otherwise disabled, those already enrolled in a higher education institution at the time conscription begins, or heads of single parent households. No conscripted solider will be compelled to serve in a front-line capacity.

Aye.

[Secretary Polnut]

Aye - only because if this doesn't pass in this current form it'll be a carbuncle on the Senate.

[Governor Scott]

Nay.

[MOPolitico]

Aye

I really would have preferred a stronger version of the current bill (i.e., the bill as originally proposed), but I would rather this pass (however much of a Moderate Hero-y compromise it may be) than nothing pass at all.

[They Played The Wardrum Out Of Time]

NAY!!!!!!

[Junkie]

Nay

[President Marokai]

3 - 3 so far.

[They Played The Wardrum Out Of Time]

I encourage every Senator that believes in individual liberty to vote nay.

[TJ in Wisco]

Nay

It seems that no one really wants this compromise.

[Secretary Polnut]

And the amendment will go nowhere... excellent.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Holding out for something better. Nay.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I had hoped for a negotiation or deal making to hammer out a framework that could get the votes to pass. The current text has problems and flaws that I would be willing to deal with for the purposes getting a deal, but outside of that it becomes a refrendum on the current text.

Nay.

[Secretary Polnut]

I'm curious to know what the Senate's view is on the fact that it's an amendment.

Would there be strong enough support for a legislative instrument, rather than an amendment?

I know Scott and Jake feel very passionately about this, but the votes for an amendment just aren't there.

[President Marokai]

This Amendment is failing.

Which is a shame, because it's better than the status-quo. But it seems some people want perfection..

[Governor Scott]

I just can't support any legislation that would continue to allow the government to force its citizens into slavery.  If we were to support gutted versions of what we are ultimately pushing for, then we'd be compromising on our values and defeating our ultimate goal.  Whether there's enough support for the amendment or not, we are simply making a statement.

[Senator Napoleon]

This Amendment is failing.

Which is a shame, because it's better than the status-quo. But it seems some people want perfection..

Ehhh. Last time the Senate tried this madness, the people laughed it down in flames. That is the tricky part of our amendment process: it doesn't work when the Senate is so out of touch.

[They Played The Wardrum Out Of Time]

I just can't support any legislation that would continue to allow the government to force its citizens into slavery.  If we were to support gutted versions of what we are ultimately pushing for, then we'd be compromising on our values and defeating our ultimate goal.  Whether there's enough support for the amendment or not, we are simply making a statement.

This.

[bgwah]

Abstain. I'm tired of voting on this. So meh!

[President Marokai]

This Amendment has failed.

[They Played The Wardrum Out Of Time]

This Amendment has failed.

[Secretary Polnut]

This Amendment has failed.

I would be startled if an amendment you liked did get up - but my term is nearly over so let's see how you do with my replacement

[TJ in Wisco]

The problem with this issue is that there isn't very much will for a compromise. The anti-conscription side refuses to support anything that could still allow conscription, whereas some of the more moderate voices on the issue don't want a constitutional ammendment banning it without exception. Therefore, the status-quo will prevail unless either group relents.

I probably would have voted in favor of my original wording that was struck down right after this was proposed and gave serious thought to supporting the current. But, to be honest I can't imagine conscription being implemented anyway in Atlasia without some truly incredible circumstances anyway so I viewed the status quo as preferable to this wording.